1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a window-containing structures having a plastic frame.
2. Background Art
Windows are integral parts of a variety of building components which include skylights, doors, conventional windows, and the like. Skylights for example have been used to allow light into residential and commercial buildings through an opening. The aesthetic value and possible health benefits of having sunlight in buildings have lead to an increasing demand for these structures. Ideally, a skylight will let light in while keeping other environmental elements out. However, since the installation of a skylight requires that an opening be cut in a roof, sealing such units has presented numerous challenges.
Popular skylight configurations include, for example, fixed skylights with flat or domed-shaped glass, ventilation skylights, egress skylights, and balcony skylights. In the fixed skylight configuration, the skylight functions essentially as a window that does not open. Ventilation skylights are similar, but may be opened a few inches to allow air circulation. Ventilation skylights may be opened by a pole or by a small electric motor. Egress roof skylights are capable of being opened by a sufficient amount for a person to move through. Balcony roof skylights which are usually installed on relatively steep roofs open to form a small balcony on which a person may stand.
In the typical fixed skylight installation a rectangular opening is cut in a roof. This opening will go through the plywood sheets in the roof. A curb unit is then attached to the plywood sheets of the roof. The external curb surfaces are then flashed with either roof boards or metal sheets to provide a leak-tight seal between the curb and roof. The skylight frame is then attached to the top surface of the curb unit. The skylight frame will usually have one or more glass panels surrounded by an aluminum trim frame. The glass panels are separated by a spacer which seals the interior cavity between the panels. The configuration for the glass panels is the same as that typically used in insulated window constructions. Transparent plastic panels may be used instead of glass panels. Additionally, the panels may be domed-shaped if desired. Such curbs are usually made of wood with a metal flashing along the sides of the curb. Generally, these curbs are fabricated on-site during the installation of the skylight. For stationary skylights, a leak tight seal will be formed between the skylight and the curb. Over time this leak tight seal often degrades and leaks. Furthermore, the application of a sealant to the curb may cause complications with the skylight manufacture tolerances by leaving a space between the metal flashing along the sides of the curb and the top of the curb. Foamed tapes have been used in place of sealants. However, such tapes do not adhere as well as sealants. Gaskets have been applied to both seal the skylight frame to a curb and to file the space between the metal flashing and the curb. Such configurations tend to be expensive and require rather strict tolerances. Moreover, the gasket can not be modified on-site.
Skylights have been formed with components made by reaction injection molding (“RIM”). U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,531 (“the '531 patent”) discloses a framed insulating glass unit with an integral skylight frame and an integral curb made by the RIM process. In the framed insulating glass unit of the '531 patent, two glass plates are molded into a frame member by a polyurethane RIM process. RIM is a process of molding plastic parts using liquid monomers. It is capable of forming solid or foam parts that can vary from being flexible to extremely rigid. Polyurethanes are probably the most common plastics from which parts are made by the RIM process. RIM polyurethane is made by combining an isocyanate and a polyol.
In the typical RIM process, the liquids are pumped into and combined in a mixer under a pressure between about 1,500 and 3,000 psi. The liquids are then introduced into the mold under a low pressure (about 1 atm). An exothermic chemical reaction occurs in the mold causing the liquid to solidify without heating or cooling. Parts fabricated by RIM offer several advantages over other molding processes. Although parts produced by RIM are similar to parts made by injection molding, RIM parts may be made with shorter production time and less cost. Furthermore, RIM does not require high temperatures or pressures typical of injection molding thereby making it possible to make the molds out of inexpensive materials such as aluminum. However, the RIM process presents a number of considerations that complicates part fabrication. For example, the processing temperature, pressure and viscosity must be accurately controlled since the polymerization of the monomers takes place in the mold. Furthermore, the mixing head must be completely purged after each part is formed to prevent clogging. Finally, the relatively protracted cycle times for forming larger parts and the limited choices of polymers (mostly polyurethanes) make RIM a somewhat undesirable process.
In addition to the demands set forth above for skylights, improvements in the construction and sealing of other building components that include windows are needed. Typically, these window-containing components include numerous parts that need to be assembled and sealed. Cost savings is but one reason dictating the desirability of improving the methods of manufacturing such components.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved skylight and other window-containing constructions that are inexpensive to fabricate with a minimal number of seamed junctions.